5.4 Discussion Four

Instructions for this discussion will be posted the night before the scheduled start day and time.

D4: Instructions on Developing a Case Study

This discussion will start with an initial posting.

What do you need to do during the first week of Discussion? (Everything needs to be posted by Sunday of the first week)

1. Based on the previous discussion, you need to finalize a research question that you want to pursue. The research question should be focus on a child or group of children (in or out of the classroom) that you will have access and permission to observe for at least four weeks. Access to your subject could be done in several days or observations. Also, it should identify the learning theory that you will be using as a lens to analyze the data you collected.

You will get a bonus point if you choose a theory that you have not addressed in Assignments 1 and 2 and Discussions 2 and 3.This is your FIRST post. Subject label should include your last name + question.

2.Surf the web either using google or the library database, and identify at least FOUR (4) resources that describe and discuss what is a case study; and how to conduct a case study in educational settings. You should have at least 1 website and 1 journal article. This posting should be a FIRST REPLY to your initial post where you will describe the elements of a good case study in educational settings based on your readings, and how it should be conducted as well as documented. Also, included a bibliographyof the resources used in APA format as an attached word pile.

3. Finally, a SECOND REPLY to your initial post should describe the potential subject for a case study using demographic characteristics, location and context, etc. This posting should give us a visual understanding of who your case study will be. Also, you need to describe how you plan to do your case study observation.

What do you need to do during the second week of Discussion? (Everything needs to be posted by Sunday of the second week)

1. In this second week of discussion, you are expected to provide comment or feedback as a reply to at least FOUR initial postings by your peers.What do you think of the research question? Is the research question aligned with the learning theory they selected? How does the description of a case study differs from yours? How is their approach for conducting the case study similar to what you plan to do? Did you read anything from their postings that you can use for your own case study?

2. One of your replies should be directed to an initial posting that will be using the same learning theory for your own case study.

3. Towards the end of the second week of discussion, you need to make an INITIAL posting (your SECOND) with a subject heading label -- last name and "reflections". This initial posting will capture what you learned about developing a case study using a learning theory as lens.

4. You are expected to actively participate in the second week of discussion. You are encourage to do more than what is stated above as minimum expectations for initial postings and replies.

Assessment of Student Performance

1. Adherence to the instructions for this discussion.

2. Quality of initial postings and replies for this discussion.

Student Posting Progress